a whole new meaning of love
by BerkieLynn
Summary: From a prompt on tumblr "sarah grace meeting her new baby cousin for the first time and getting to hold him very carefully with daddy's help." Loosely based in seilleanmor's More Than Together universe.


_A/N: Bean (seilleanmor) sent me this prompt on tumblr when I asked for drabble prompts but this one did not want to stay a drabble. She was kind enough to allow me to draw from the universe she created in her fic More Than Together but it's not at all necessary to have read that for this. (Though I do highly recommend it and the related Christmas fic Endure All Things. And everything she writes to be honest.)_

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Kevin holds on to his little girl's hand tightly as they navigate the busy hospital hallway. He'd rather be holding her but she squirmed in his arms when he tried, insisting "No, Daddy, I do it" so he's letting her. She's only two and a half and already so independent. She definitely gets that from her mother. If he had his way, she'd want to be glued to his side until she was twenty-five. At least.

He follows the signs to the bank of elevators that they need, ignoring Sarah's grunt of protest as he presses the button, crosses his fingers that not acknowledging her will keep her indignation from turning into a meltdown. The doors slide open and she skips into the car ahead of her father, Kevin sighing in relief as he follows her.

"Ah-ah," he scolds, snatching her hand away from the alluring rows of buttons.

Her bright blue eyes flash in anger, her lips pursed in determination. "I do it," she tells him.

"Okay, but let's press the right one," he says soothingly, raising her outstretched finger to hover over the correct floor. "Go ahead." The words are barely out of his mouth before she pokes the button, grinning when it lights up. "Good job!" he enthuses, holds his hand out for her to slap her tiny one against his palm in celebration.

Sarah's quiet when they get off the elevator, the hushed feel of this floor subduing her usual toddler rambunctiousness. Kevin double checks the room number at the nurse's station before crouching down to talk to his daughter.

"Okay, Sarah Grace, are you ready to go meet the baby?"

Her face screws up in confusion. "Baby home."

"Yeah, sweetie, your brother's at home. This is another baby and he's even smaller than John so you have to be very very careful with him."

"Gentle," she says, parroting the word that her parents repeat at her when she's anywhere near her six month old brother.

"Exactly, gentle. Can you do that?"

"Yes, daddy." She nods, the adult-like seriousness overtaking her features almost comical and he has to clear his throat to cover a chuckle.

"That's my girl," he says as he stands, holding his hand out for her to take as they set off down the hall again.

The door is open a crack and he can hear a murmured conversation on the other side of the door, so he knocks softly, the door swinging open a moment later to reveal a beaming Rick Castle.

"Hey, you made it!" The writer's usually boisterous voice is tamped down to hushed tones but he makes up for it in the effusive embrace that he pulls Kevin into. Rick lets him go to swoop down and draw Sarah into his arms, the girl squealing in delight.

"Shhhh," he shushes. "The baby is sleeping," he tells her in a stage whisper.

"Baby seeping?" she asks, mimicking her uncle's stage whisper.

"Yeah," he replies, pointing to the bed where Kate is cradling her son in her arms.

"Oooooh," Sarah intones reverently, her eyes wide. She only did this six months ago with her own brother but Kevin's sure she doesn't remember it. Rick carries her over to the bed, perching himself next to his wife's hip so his niece can get a better look. Kevin follows, making his way to the other side of the bed to have the best view of his daughter as she meets Jackson for the first time.

She leans out of Rick's arms to hover over the sleeping child, her blonde curls falling into her face. Kate raises a hand to tuck the girl's hair behind her ear.

"Can you see him?" she asks her, smiling when the girl simply nods in response, too engrossed in staring at the baby to properly answer.

"He's gorgeous," Kevin says softly and is met with twin beaming smiles, Castle's is a little more giddy, Kate's a little more tired but both bursting with joy.

"Daddy," Sarah breathes, drawing his attention back. "Gentle?" she asks, her hand extending towards one of the baby's fists.

"Sure, sweetie."

She's true to her word, ghosting her fingers over the baby's before she loosely closes her hand over his. "Oh, soft," she says, her sweet voice drawing low chuckles from the adults.

"Do you want to hold him?" Kate asks her.

"Oh, yes!" she exclaims, her face lighting up, and she reaches towards the boy.

"Let's get you more comfortable, okay?" Rick says to her as he stands up with her on his hip, pulling a chair that was against the wall closer to the bed. He picks up the pillow that was in the chair and replaces it with Sarah, then places the pillow on her lap.

Kevin doesn't even have to ask, he's sure that Castle slept in that chair at his wife's bedside last night. He knows because he would have done the same when Sarah Grace was born if he hadn't been in his own hospital bed that night.

"May I?" Kevin asks Kate, holding his arms out for the baby.

"Of course," she answers, shifting her son in her arms to pass him over.

He had warned his daughter that the baby would be small but Jack was early and the boy is tiny, almost unbelievably so but perfectly formed, ten fingers, ten toes, full cheeks and rosebud mouth. Kevin can't believe that he's holding this child, that his friends made it here, that they're _parents_. He's washed over with pride for Kate and Castle, happiness bubbling up in him until it overflows in the stretch of his mouth, the gleam in his eyes.

"Daddy," Sarah huffs impatiently at him, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Daddy gets to hold the baby, too," he tells her as he comes around the bed and kneels before the chair.

"My turn." She's bouncing in the chair now, her excitement growing by the second.

"You gotta calm down first. Need to be gentle with the baby, remember?"

"Yes, Daddy, gentle," she repeats, stilling her movements and holding her arms straight out.

Kevin lays Jack in her arms which really means on the pillow especially since she immediately pulls one hand out to touch the baby, soft touches to his arms and chest, a light pat to one of his cheeks before setting her hand on his stomach, her other hand still under the baby's head with his.

"Hi, baby," she whispers.

"His name is Jack," her father tells her.

"Hi, Jack," she says and as if the boy already knows his name, one of his eyelids cracks open, then both of his eyes blink a few times. He yawns, his little hands unfurling and clenching again, his eyes opening to fix on Sarah and all the adults hold their breath as they watch the children watching each other.

And then, without warning, Jack's face screws up, his cry piercing the room. Sarah startles, her own face crumpling and her eyes filling with tears. Castle quickly scoops up his son and Kevin gathers his daughter in his arms. She buries her face in his neck, fat, hot tears silently running down his collarbone. The baby calms down quickly and Kevin turns to find that Kate has him in her arms again, her mouth near his ear murmuring comforts.

"The magic of Mom," Castle comments, love spilling from his face as he watches his wife and son.

Sarah lifts her head, sniffing back her tears. "Why he cry?"

"He just doesn't know you yet, sweetheart. You surprised him," he replies as he wipes the tear tracks from her cheeks.

"I sorry, Daddy." Her bottom lip starts to quiver and he hugs her tight to him again.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Sarah Grace, you were very gentle with him," he assures her.

"I was." She pulls back to nod at him in earnest.

Rick comes to join them, palming the back of the girl's head. "Thank you for being so nice to Jack today."

She's suddenly shy, says "You're welcome" at a barely audible level but Kevin doesn't want to push her for more right now.

"We should get going," he says regretfully.

"Thank you for stopping by," Kate says, the comment directed more at his daughter than him. "Will you come see Jack again?"

Sarah nods, a smile washing away the last of her tears. "He pretty."

Kate smiles, laughter sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you."

"We didn't want to overwhelm today so it was just the two of us," Kevin interjects, "but Jenny would like to make you dinner sometime, even said we could bring it over if that's easier for you guys."

"As far as I'm concerned, she can have the run of the kitchen some night if it means that we don't have to remember to feed ourselves," Castle answers.

That answer was the exact reason his wife suggested it. They remember how tough just making dinner was some nights. "Great. I'll let her know and we'll be in touch." He looks at his daughter, "Can you say bye?"

"Bye," she says softly.

"Bye," Kevin echoes her. "Congratulations, guys."

"Thank you," they reply in unison, calling out goodbyes as they leave, Sarah waving over his shoulder.

She lays her head on his shoulder in the elevator and he's convinced that she'll sleep most of the way home but out in front of the hospital, she lifts her head.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Ice cream?" Her smile is hopeful and he could swear that she's batting her eyelashes at him.

He drops a kiss to her nose, laughing with her as she wrinkles her nose at the action. "Yes, I think you earned ice cream today, Sarah Grace."

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_I'd love to know what you think._


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